Shakespeare's Sister

My Healthy Addicition_Two Month Sum Up

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:18:00 GMT

So, I'm such a goober. I made this big plan to write everyday or week and it's turned into almost never. My apologies. Here's some great things I've learned though. I've always considered myself a really healthy person, but to make the most of my life and working 3 major jobs, I needed a plan that would be able to sustain me.

So, I got on the Jillian Michaels 3 month aerobic plan which is amazing. It's 30 minutes every morning and that's it. It's not for everyone and she can be fierce, but for me, it works. Combining that with my new diet, I'm so much stronger now and have lost about 10 lbs. Here's a funny story. I put on a dress last week that zips up to the neck and once zipped up, I couldn't breath. The only way to save myself from passing out was to put my bra on the largest setting and hope for the best. It worked. The reason. My upper body is so defined and strong now that apparently I'm busting out of my clothes like the Incredible Hulk. I didn't think when I lost weight I'd need to get my clothes taken out.

Now, I start my day with my workout and have either oatmeal or cheerios with berries and 1/2c of whey powder. Then I have some coffee with skim milk and the other 1/2c of whey powder. The whey is so sweet, I don't need the sugar. It's like drinking a mocha but you get the protein. Sometimes I'll have a side of eggs too. I've had egg white omelets for the longest time with veges but noticed for as much ketchup I put on them, I might as well get the regular eggs as there's so much protein in the yoke and x-out the ketchup. This usually sustains me until lunch. I feel by starting my day out with whole grains, berries and protein, I'm much happier and focused AND my moods are in check. More about that in a sec. For lunch, I've been sticking with either a turkey wrap or turkey, tomatoes and swiss on a multigrain roll toasted with lettuce and mustard. Accompanied by a salad full of fiber and nutrients and some seltzer water. If need be, i'll have some yogurt or fruit or both for a snack but since my stomach has been shrinking, I haven't wanted it. In fact, if you breathe all the way out and push your fingers towards your belly and grab any excess, that's the real fat you're dealing with. Everything else is muscle. I was so happy to do this exercise and see my puppet tummy shrinking. :) Oh, for dinner I normally have some fish or protein with a side of whole grain jasmine rice and a fiber rich salad. If I need something sweet, I'll often have a few squares of dark chocolate or blend up my chocolate whey with raspberries, blueberries and an apple in some water. It's SOOOO delicious!

The biggest lesson I learned the hard way, which is one of the reasons I hadn't been able to write as much, is that food is a major food enhancer. My eating habits have been so inconsistant that I was just all over the place. Having a much better balance now and feeling like I've been really getting my nutrients, sticking to whole foods and cutting unnatural sugar and soda completely out of my diet, I feel so much better. Leaps and bounds. It's scary to know what exactly is in diet soda. The same things that go in car batteries and fireworks...pure chemicals. It's ssoooo not safe and was a huge wake up call. BUT, because I've loved soda, to curb my craving I'm now drinking flavored seltzer which is delicious and bubbly.

It took so major plows to the head even for someone that's considered herself as happy as I've been. Whole grains, fruits, veges, protein from foods and cutting all unnatural sugar and chemicals from my diet makes me happy AND it's so much cheaper! Trader Joe's is my haven. Even so, the meals we consider to be easier add up to actually being much more expensive but then there's the doctors bills on top of that for probably feeling more sick often and having to substitute other chemicals to make yourself feel better. Working from the inside out is the only way to do it. I chose my life and chose to keep is strong. It's too demanding to keep going the way I had been and survive.

I'll keep writing. My goal is to lose another 15 lbs to be down to my fighting weight. :) Wish me luck!!

Love the comments too. Let me know how you're doing.

My Healthy Addiction: Two Week Sum-up

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Mon, 4 Jun 2012 11:04:00 GMT

Hi all!

I'm so sorry I haven't been as responsive. I consider myself to be a very health concious person, but the changes in my diet, which have been strong choices, have been really affecting me.

Some good. Some ok. I had to make some drastic decisions regarding my lifestyle. I had no idea how much sugar I had taken in and it's taking a lot of energy to literally consider everything I am and should be putting in my body. It's been a real struggle and mentally draining. I know I can do it, though. In the time I've been on this program, I have noticed considerable results. Due to amping up my workouts, I'm considerably stronger and am feeding my body now the necessary protein it craves. I'm trying to get as creative as possible with the foods I'm eating. The last thing I wanted to do when joining a diet plan (which is why I wouldn't opt for weight watchers, for example) is stick to a few bland foods..egg whites and turkey and water. Blah! So, it's about getting as creative as possible with the healthy choices I'm making and portion control.

It's hilarious because everyone is giving Mayor Bloomberg grief about his new policy of banning supersized drinks. All I have to say is someone had to do it and Go Bloomberg! :) Poor thing has taken a hit. People in this country are used to SOOO much food and if we learned portion control, we'd drastically reduce the obesity epidemic. Good for him for taking a stand. We still have tons of rights in our country. We are still very, very free. Once we stop feeling entitled with our supersized massive meals feeling like we have to eat like kings, we'll be in a much better place.

Anyway, my current plan:

I've been working out at the gym for at least 30 min 5 days out of the week and dance on the weekends for an hour each. I also walk everywhere, being a New Yorker, and why not with this gorgeous summer weather. So I feel I'm getting a tremendous amount of exercise.

Eating wise, my trainer and I have been scrutinizing my diet plan. Equally, I'm back to taking my vitamins and supplements regularly, so that's helping too.

Basically, it's getting as much lean protein and veges as I can in every meal and when adding carbs and fruits, using major portion control.

Would love to hear any feedback if you're on your own plan. Any accomplishments or pitfalls. Please share with me on this journey.

Thanks all. Happy Monday! It's going to be a great week!

My Healthy Addiction - Day 7

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Sun, 20 May 2012 10:51:00 GMT

Today's All-Inclusive Sum Up:

Feeling really focused and on-track today. I went to put my jeans on and noticed there's a little wiggle room in the belly area and I filled out another part of the pants. Meaning, I'm slowly losing weight and my muscles are getting stronger. This is definitely a good sign!

What I'm continually learning is no matter how fit you are, you absolutely have to be concious about what you put in your body to get any results. I was most proud of myself for this past week because I managed to work out every day and really challenge myself. Additionally, not being a morning person at all, I got to the gym twice at 7am. I'm most proud of the physical activity. I need to work on my consumption habits.

The whole point of my body tutor is to not only get you to establish goals but to have an action plan. I feel I've establised the workouts really well as my gym is across the street from my job. If I don't have time to run before work, I'll go at lunch, spend a little time in the sauna, have a quick shower and head back to work. Sometimes in the middle of the day, it makes all of the difference in order to keep the stress down.

Meal 1: 8:30am
Large tea with skim and no calorie sweetener. Egg whites, 2 soy protein links and an apple.

I pretty much became the queen of protein and fiber in this breakfast. I always felt egg whites alone are really slimy and gross and, to be honest, really miss real eggs. However, adding broccoli and tomatoes, making it more of a casserole with the egg whites makes for very pleasant breakfast.

Meal 2: 12:30pm
Diet coke. Multi-grain whole wheat bagel with turkey, muenster cheese, lettuce, tomato and mustard.

I wish I had scooped the bagel as it felt like a lot of bread as I was eating it. I'm thinking next time of doing an open-faced bagel to cut down on the carbs. I won't miss them. I felt ploppy full after eating the whole bagel. The turkey was yummy.

Meal 3: 6:00pm
100 calorie brownie.

My bunny made me. He was having a sugary snack and told me I need one.

Meal 4: 8:00pm
Glass of half orange juice, half water. Bowl of vegetarian baked beans. Salad with cilantro and broccoli.

Juice generally has a lot of sugar but it's been pointed out by my trainer that I've drastically reduced my intake so the combo of juice/water above is approved. :) This doesn't look like a huge meal, but it was very filing and full of fiber and iron.

Meal 5: 9:00pm
Non-fat greek yogurt with 1 Tbsp of honey.

This was dessert. It's been pointed out, it was a little late to have this sugary of a snack as the sugar goes directly to fat, however it's not too bad.

Today's Workout Summary:
I mainly just walked around prospect heights for about 45 minutes today. It was such a gorgeous weekend in New York. I don't like to run above 75 degrees. Would rather use the indoor gym which is saved for the weekdays.

Planning to do a weigh-in tomorrow to see how much I've lost? Hopefully?

My Healthy Addiction - Day 6

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:11:00 GMT

Today's All-Inclusive Sum Up:

I made a choice to slow down a bit today. I sacrificed getting a few things done I was hoping to do, however I made an active choice to enjoy the day and the gorgeous sunshine. Sleep - I got 12 hours last night. I feel amazing and I've found a nice balance.

I felt really good about my eating choices or as I like to call them my methods of consumption. I'm now only taking in zero calorie sweetener which seems to do the same thing as sugar, but now with all of the positives. I am finding it tough to "fit in" meals that I really enjoy like the pasta for example was probably not a good idea to have right before I went to bed. However, if I had it in the middle of the day I'd be fast asleep by 3pm. So, maybe a small cup full in moderation and a giant salad would have been a better choice?

Meal 1: 11:30am

Egg whites with shredded carrots. An orange and a peach. Large tea with nonfat milk and no calorie sweetener.

Very filling and adding the carrots to the egg whites made them a lot less gross! It gave a sparky flavor which I wasn't expecting.

Meal 2: 2:00pm

(10) fat free cheesy poofs.

My weakness. Cartman and I are soul mates when it comes to the cheesy poofs. They have absolutely no transfat and are low in calories. So, it may be an ok snack.

Meal 3: 3:30pm

100 calorie whole wheat wrap with hummus, romaine lettuce, broccoli, cilantro and 2 slices of gruyere cheese.

I was really happy with this meal, but it's been pointed out that I really do need protein in the middle of the day. If I could have added some chicken or turkey in the wrap, I think it would have been a better choice. Ok, and I do love cheese. I love it so much I wrote a play about it. (See my earlier relationship with the cheesy poofs) I know it's fattening and has a lot of cholesterol. I'm guessing in moderation? Oy. I get it...just...oy.

Meal 4: 5:30pm

Fat free strawberry Greek yogurt. 1 glass of pomegranate cranberry juice (no sugar added).

So, it turns out they didn't need to add any sugar because there was already a lot in there. I'm going to start diluting my juices. Half juice and half water/seltzer. Think that will also take the calories down. Incidentally, for those who are curious, the water in New York City is safe to drink. I have an acquaintance at the water board and have watched documentaries about it on the history channel. Drink away.

Meal 5: 8:30pm

1 glass of cabernet sauvignon. I plate of Ziti pasta and buttered eggplant in a tomato cheese sauce with broccoli, cilantro and gruyere cheese.

Probably should have just had a salad. This was a mass load of carbs to have before going to bed.

Today's Workout Summary:

I had worked hard at the gym all week. So, today I focused on one of my first loves... dance. Danced for 1 hour.

My Healthy Addiction - Day 5

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:11:00 GMT

Friday's All-Inclusive Sum Up:

In short, I fell off the wagon today. Oy! I ate my weight in carbs. Need to gear up for a much healthier weekend. I felt amazing during the workout, but felt exhausted after lunch and for the rest of the day. May have been due to no protein? Also, was starving when I came home. When I was in the sauna, I left after 10 min and was completely soaked in sweat. Take that to be a good sign of getting rid of the toxins! I felt that I really pushed myself taking the weights to a heavier level, challenging (not unbearable) and doing shorter sets.

Meal 1: 7:00am
Large cup of tea with skim milk and (3) sugar in the raw.

The zero calorie sweetener is being delivered with my groceries tomorrow! Looking forward to the calorie reduction. 1 pkg of sugar can alone have 20 calories!

Meal 2: 9:00am
Onion Bagel with cream cheese. Smoothie with Cantelope and Apple and a shot of protein. 1 Venti French roast coffee with skim milk and (4) pkts of zero calorie sweetner.

I blame the bagel for starting my day out in the wrong way and for looking so amazing that I had to have it. It's been suggested half a bagel and lowfat cream cheese may have been the better way to go.

Meal 3: 12:10pm
Salmon with a side of green beans and a side of mac and cheese (I had too.) Fanta Zero soda.

Who can say no to Mac & Cheese! I am proud of myself as I asked the Salmon dude to remove the bread garnish from the salmon. I should probably have had protein to get my through the rest of the day and left the salmon for dinner. You live and learn.

Meal 4: 3:00pm
Dannon light & fit 80 calorie, no fat blueberry yogurt. 1 orange.

My trainer was proud of me for this choice! Yea! Also, the orange has a lot of fiber. Yum!

Meal 5: 7:30pm
(1) Large Thin Crust Dominos Pizza with Pepperoni, onion, black olives, marinara sauce and cheese. I ate the whole thing! :( Also, 1 glass of red wine.

She was not so happy with me for this one. :( Like a bad boy, I have this dangerous relationship with dunkin donuts and dominos. They are my go-to cravings. Although it was thin crust (not as much bread)and the pizza equals probably 3 new york slices... I know. I won't do it again.

Today's Workout Summary:

Ran/Walked fast paced for 20 minutes
First 10 minutes was spent lifting 5 lb weights whilst briskly walking. Burned 118 calories and noticed a considerable difference feeling I did a lot more in a short amount of time.

Leg Extensions - 3 sets of 10 @ 40 lbs

Chest extensions (like a pushup, but on the machine)
3 sets of 10 @ 30 lbs

5 sets of 10 Ab crunches @ 60 lbs

Rowing machine - 3 sets of 10 @ 40 lbs

My Healthy Addiction - Day 4

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:11:00 GMT

Thursday's All-Inclusive Sum Up:

I noticed a considerable difference in my diet, particularly after I had the turkey sandwich for lunch. :) I felt incredibly engaged and felt my energy was focused. I did manage to get 6 hours of sleep last night so that extra hour, for me, makes a huge difference. So I love food. :) I sacrificed (but am ok with it) mayo on my sandwich, cookies at the cookie bar, pita at the pita bar, a longer workout on the treadmill. I'm noticing how to control my sugar and salt intake.

Meal 1: 8:10am

Large tea with 1% milk, hazelnut flavoring and three sugars

I'm going to start bringing my tea to work to have the non-fat and zero calorie sweetener. You will be proud of me soon.

Meal 2: 9:30am

1 cup of Irish Oatmeal with 1 pkg of zero calorie sweetener

This actually sustained as a solid breakfast. Great way to start the day.

Meal 3: 12:00pm

1 can of Fanta Zero. Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with muenster cheese, lettuce tomato and spicy mustard. Romaine and mixed lettuce side salad with broccoli, corn, carrots, cranberries and a tsp of olive oil and vinegar.

My trainer also loved this combo. I felt so much energy after having the turkey sandwich and substituting mustard for mayo.

Meal 4: 2:40pm

1 Quart of water. Greek yogurt with strawberries
(2% - lowfat). 1 orange

This is the last of the 2%. I've purchased a bunch of the fat free greek yogurt which now that it's not a huge fad, is much more affordable price wise. Also, I was thirsty. :)

Meal 5: 5:00pm

Two Dark Chocolate and Oat Granola Bar

I thought this was a good snack but was advised it was still a sugary treat. Though one or two single pieces of dark chocolate and some nuts would be a better choice.

Meal 6: 8:00pm

1 small bottle of diet pepsi, 2 protein soy dogs in (1) 100 calorie tortilla, 1 can of green beans flavored with chili powder and tumerac, (5) zero transfat cheesy poofs. :) (1) 90 calorie fiber filled chocolate bar for dessert.

Trainer was also very happy with this meal except for the chocolate bar as the sugar adds up.

Today's Workout Summary:

20 min. on treadmill running/fast paced walking (burned 113 calories)

100 crunches @ 30 lb weights

3 sets of 10 calf extensions @ 50 lbs

Rowing Machine - 3 sets of 10 @ 40 lbs

Incidentally, if you haven't played the Fish game on the rowing machine, it's awesome! I think I scored a 780 today.

My Healthy Addiction - Day 3

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:11:00 GMT

Wednesday's All-Inclusive Sum Up:

The workout was awesome. I felt because of the choices of what I had been putting into my body over the past few days, I actually had the energy to wake up at 5am and workout/stretch for 90 minutes. Although sometimes when we feel really good, we start to slip and eat the foods that are our weakness versus what keeps us feeling good and energized.

Meal 1: 6:30am

Large Tea with 3 sugars and 1% milk

Need to switch to no calorie sweetener! Day Mantra!

Meal 2: 9:00am

Large Orange, Banana, Carrot and Cantalope Smoothie with a shot of whey protein. 1 small cup of non-sweetened Irish Oatmeal with 2 packets of no calorie sweetener (I DID IT!!), 1 glass of water.

I'm thrilled with this combination. I was advised the fruits I chose for the smoothie may be higher in sugar. Although I love these and banana has a double purpose of being good for your hair. :) I was also advised of the great choice of including the protein as this goes straight to the muscles. Go me!

Meal 3: 12:00pm

Orange

Needed a snack high in fiber.

Meal 4: 12:45pm

Two Diet Cokes, 1 crab and shrimp cake sandwich with white sauce, side salad with carrots and tomatoes and side of steak fries with ketchup. 1 cup of coffee with cream and 2 no calorie sweetener packets.

I was advised the crab and shrimp are alone very high in cholesterol and with the bread, this sandwich is very fattening. Encouraged to weave more protein into my lunch. I also have a weakness for fries. I thought the balance was ok since I also had a side salad but a deep fried potato combined with the bread on the sandwich... I might as well be Henry the 8th. Need to zap the cream with skim milk.

Meal 5: 5:00pm

5 small squares of chocolates

We changed vendors today at work and they gave me chocolate. As men know since the dawn of time, women can't resist chocolate. It was an assortment. I think I might be able to get away with this snack in the future if I balance the sugar in the rest of my day.

Meal 6: 9:00pm

Cheese Quesadilla, 1 glass of orange juice, 1 pork egg roll with 4 packets of duck sauce, 1 fortune cookie.

Just to be fair my bunny rabbit had 2 fortune cookies. I only had one. Although he had a salad for dinner. Ok. Checkmate. Between the sugar in the duck sauce and orange juice, my body is now under high levels of sugar. The pork egg roll was another deep fried bad, bad call. Body is craving bad food because all I'm feeding it is bad food. Need to adjust my intake levels.

Today's Workout Summary:

3 sets of 10 reps of 10 lb free weights with 5 variations

Running and fast paced walking for 20 minutes = burned 103 calories

3 sets of 10 reps of Leg Extension machine @ 50 lb

Adduction - 10 sets of 10 reps @ 50 lb

Abduction - 5 sets of 10 reps @ 50 lb

Rowing Machine - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 30 lb

50 crunches

Stretching for 15 minutes

15 minutes in the sauna

My Healthy Addiction - Day 2

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:11:00 GMT

Tuesday's All-Inclusive Sum Up:

I felt really good about the choices I made today. Started my day out with some hearty protein and lycopene and the workout felt engaging. Although I feel I can challenge myself a bit more.

Meal 1: 9:30am

Egg white omelette with fresh tomatoes, onions and cheddar cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. 3 packets of ketchup. 1 medium roast coffee with gingerbread sweetener, half and half, and 4 pkts of sugar in the raw.

Need to switch to a no calorie sweetener.

Meal 2: 11:30am

1 orange. 1 Large tea with skim and 3 sugars

Meal 3: 1:15pm

1 bowl of turkey chili and kidney beans with 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese. 1 can of diet coke.

Think I did good here.

Meal 4: 4:00pm

1 green tea

Should probably add a little snack like yogurt or fruit.

Meal 5: 8:15pm

Two soy protein vege hot dogs in buns with ketchup and mustard. 1 bowl of green beans with pepper and herbs to taste. 1 glass of Chardonnay.

Meal 6: 9:00pm

10 chocolate and sugar pecans. 1 cup of organic green tea.

Today's Workout Summary:

30 minutes of running

10 minutes on the rowing machine

10 sets of 5 reps (arms)

100 crunches on the bouncy ball

10 minutes in the sauna

My Healthy Addiction - Day 1

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:11:00 GMT

Monday's All-Inclusive Sum Up:

I'm very excited to start with this program. Didn't realize how much sugar I'm actually consuming and how my body has been depending on that to work out versus my natural energy which I would get from the healthier fruits and veges.

Meal 1: 8:45am

Sesame Bagel, Cream Cheese, Large Coffee with milk and sugar. Drank 3 glasses of water.

It's been pointed out there's a lot of calories here. :) So, I think I'll aim next time to have half a bagel with lowfat cream cheese and pair it with a piece of fruit.

Meal 2: 1:45pm

Egg salad sandwich on foccacia with provolone cheese and tomatoes slices. 1 bag of potato chips :( 1 can of coke.

I usually always have a diet soda and should probably going forward. I like soda. It's kinda hard to cut out of my daily routine and usually have 1 at most a day, if at all. I also LOVE cheese although I'm compounding it with the mayo in the egg salad. AND the chips were a major no no. Think at the very least, switching to diet and replacing the potato chips with a side salad (oil and vinegar).

Meal 3: 8:00pm

Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos in whole wheat tortilla with 2 pieces of chard, 1 handful of cilantro, 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1 tsp hot sauce, 1 glass of cranberry juice.

I'm obsessed with fish tacos. Even though they aren't traditionally made with salmon, this might have been a stronger choice to keep the Omega in my diet. The sour cream could also have been replaced with plain yogurt. With the cilantro and hot sauce, I wouldn't have tasted the difference between sour cream and yogurt. Also, it was advised the cranberry juice this late in the evening may have been better served for the morning as sugar may have kept me up.

Meal 4: 9:50pm

10 chocolate covered pecans and a glass of pomegranate juice.

So, I ate a crapload of sugar today which translates to fat. Belly becoming super belly. Big frowny face!

Today's Workout Summary:

Run for 30 minutes on treadmill

5 minutes on rowing machine

50 reps on free weights

100 reps for Outer Thighs

100 Reps for Inner Thighs

10 minutes of stretching

STEAM ROOM!

Six Month Journey of Healthy for the everyday person

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Hello my friends,

I wanted to take a different direction with this blog or rather an addition to my past blogs. I realized for the past few months that I've not been feeling as up to par, my eating habits aren't probably the best and I'm slowly on the path to a bulging body.

Don't get my wrong. I've always felt that I've felt very confident and healthy in my lifestyle. So I should probably be feeling better. Rather than some stupid celebrity endorsements, I wanted to write about the journey of the everyday, well, girl in this case just wanting to get and stay healthy. Also, I've noticed with this program compared to others that first of all, it's all virtual (which I love!), secondly you can buy everything in your local super market (unlike other programs which make you buy their branded food) and lastly, it's a much cheaper way of eating! The adjustments I've already made, I've saved money and am eating so much better AND feeling mentally and physically amazing!

For the next 6-months, I'm teaming up with my friends at mybodytutor.com and will blog each day about my personal experience and accomplishments AND slip ups. My body tutor and trainer Anna Wood was nice enough to donate a free week to the Shakespeare's Sister Company's silent auction at our recent Scavenger Hunt Benefit and I won! :) It's important for me to keep this up and hopefully, through my journey, you can use some insight that I've learned to apply to your own life. I've already learned so much.

I'm so excited to share this journey with you. I'm calling it "My Healthy Addiction." Please note that I'm being completely transparent and am not opening this blog up to people to judge my decisions or promote discouragements or endorsements that have nothing to do with the blog. Also, I'm not a trainer, I'm working with one through my body tutor who have a very specific program. These are just the thoughts of my process.

Currently, I'm 20 lbs heavier than my ideal weight and apparently have a real problem with salt and sugar. Oh, and carbs. Much of this process is to encourage myself back to my fighting weight. :) Feel free to leave me notes of encouragement! As many of you know, I love compliments!

So, tune in every day. You can also subscribe to this journal to get daily updates.

Ok, here I go...

Kickstarter Campaign - 26 day countdown

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:12:00 GMT

The Shakespeare's Sister Company is raising funds for our upcoming all-female theatrical production "Romeo and Juliet" to premiere Valentine's Day, 2012 in New York City's East Village. Our film noir version features chicks with guns during the 1929 St. Valentines Day Massacre! Please view our video trailer below, which includes a discussion with our director. We're offering great perks and would be thrilled for you to be a part of this project! With only 26 days left, we will need to raise a minimum of $8000 to get the show up and running for a solid production run.

In honor of Thanksgiving...I give you Kristin's Drunk Cranberries!

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:52:00 GMT

This is a SUPER SIMPLE recipe. Anybody who knows me, knows I love cranberries. Enjoy and please feel free to leave me feedback.

Ingredients:
1 bag of Cranberries
Sugar (I like in the raw)
1 jar of Pepper jelly (either hot or mild)
Lime Juice
Orange Juice
Tequila
A shot glass to make it even more fun

The Process:
In the food processor, grind up the cranberries until they are fine. Add 2 cups of sugar, the full jar of pepper jelly, a splash of orange juice and two tsp. of lime juice. Mix beautifully in the food processor. Add between 1/2 Cup to one full Cup of Tequila (depending how drunk you want to get). Blend, blend, blend. Transfer to a bowl and let marinade overnight if at all possible. May want to garnish with a little mint.

Enjoy some shots of Tequila until the following morning.

The next day, have a cup of Alka Seltzer handy and slurp alongside your beautiful Drunk Cranberries.

Happy Holidays!

Romeo and Juliet meets The Godfather

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:49:00 GMT

Hurricane Survival Tips to New Yorkers from one whose been through it

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:54:00 GMT

Hey all,

Growing up in the South and going through my share of hurricanes, in addition to being a flood survivor, here's a few things I've learned:

Preparation before the storm:

~ Buy several days of non-perishable foods
~ Buy a manual can opener if you don't have one
~ Buy a flashlight and candles
~ Stock up on matches, batteries
~ Bring out that portable stereo
~ Get out cash
~ If you have a car, fill up your car
~ Charge your phones, computers batteries
~ Buy some distilled water
~ I would also recommend putting any sharp objects in drawers or cabinets. You don't want knives flying in your house.

When it looks like the the weather is starting to make it's grand entrance:

~ Fill the bathtub with water. You may lose power and water
~ Put a big tape X mark on each of your windows
~ Unplug all electrical devises you are not using, if power is still on
~ Get into any room with no windows and close the door, preferably an inside room of the house
~ Take everything you need into that area
~ Stay comfortable until the storm passes

If we get lucky enough and are in the eye of the storm, there's probably just outside debris. If we are in any other part of the storm, be prepared. It's not fun. It's not pretty. Do not go out and play in it. Take it seriously.

Hope this helps. Just bottom line, really. Stay safe. Be prepared. Think smart and it will, all for lack of better words, blow over us before we know it.

Munchie Monday - Super Sunday Mac & Cheese

kris@krislundberg.com (Kris_Lundberg) — Mon, 8 Aug 2011 10:27:00 GMT

Good morning! This is a must do for any sports fan! I named it the Super Sunday Mac & Cheese and it's perfect for partaking with an awesome game. I think most of you know of my obsession with cheese and equal obsession with beer and cheese. However, this recipe can also be made without the beer for the kiddies.

SUPER SUNDAY MAC & CHEESE

2 C Elbow Macaroni
2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 C Buttermilk
3 T Butter
1/2 tsp Mustard
1/2 C favorite beer
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 C Breadcrumbs
2 Hot Dog Links or Chorizo Sausage
Salt and pepper to taste

To start, you will need 1 small pot and one small pan. In the small pot, boil the water, add 1/2 tsp of salt to water. Once boiled, add macaroni. Boil for 5-7 minutes. While boiling, slice up horizontally your hot dogs or chorizo. In the pan, add 1 tsp of butter and let it coat the pan. Once melted, add the hot dogs and stir continously until slightly charred on both sides. Remove the pasta from heat and drain in a collander. Give it a quick wash. Remove the hot dogs from heat and add to the pasta in the collander. You no longer need the pan. In the existing pot, Add 2 tsp of butter and being to melt. Add the buttermilk, cheese and mustard to the pot. Stirring continously with heat on low. After 3 minutes, add the beer, keep stirring for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Pour the pasta and meat from the collader into the pot and stir all of this beautiful madness together. Add the red pepper flakes for an extra kick! Transfer to a small serving bowl. Add breadcrumbs to the top. Serve immediately.

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